Accident Attorneys' Group

Personal Injury Lawyers of CA

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Wrong-Way Crash Kills Six

Wrong-Way Crash Kills Six

An early Sunday morning crash killed six people in a wrong-way, three-car pileup in Diamond Bar.

Authorities say 21-year-old Olivia Carolee Culbreath was drunk when she was driving her 2013 Chevrolet Camaro the wrong way on the westbound 60 Freeway.

She hit two other vehicles, killing two people in her car, and four people in a red Ford Explorer. The driver of the third car, Joel Cortez, 57, of Ontario, suffered only minor injuries. He is home recovering.

The Camaro driver, Culbreath, is listed in stable condition and will be arrested on suspicion of DUI causing great bodily injury and manslaughter when she’s released, the California Highway Patrol said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

Investigators “believe from what they found in the vehicle that alcohol was involved, said Lt. Fred Corral of the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

Witnesses say that Culbreath may have been driving in excess of 100 mph at the time of the crash. She is suspected of DUI.

DMV records show Culbreath has had her license suspended numerous times in connection with excessive blood-alcohol levels. At the time of the accident, her license was revoked. Culbreath was just 17 years old when she was convicted in juvenile court on April 13, 2010, of driving drunk, DMV officials said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

If you need a car accident lawyer call The Accident Attorneys Group at 877-857-7720.

Source: Los Angeles Times

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Suspected DUI driver crashes car into home

Suspected DUI driver crashes car into home

A suspected drunk driver crashed his vehicle into an Orange County home, according to police. The accident happened early Wednesday morning just before 2 a.m. at the intersection of Jacaranda Ave. and Myrtlewood St. in Costa Messa.

The driver of the car, 25-year-old Lawrence Smith allegedly failed to make a turn, crashing through the wall between the  homeowner’s master bedroom and a spare bedroom.

“It was a loud noise and when I woke up, it was just debris and dust everywhere,” Don Vanderwal said in an interview with CBS Los Angeles. “Honestly, I thought it was an earthquake and the house was falling apart.”

Vanderwal’s wife, 44, suffered minor facial lacerations. She was taken to Hoag Hospital.

There was a passenger in Smith’s car, a 24-year-old male, who was also injured and transported to Western Medical Center for treatment of chest pains.

Smith, of Costa Mesa, was arrested on suspicion of felony DUI, according to police officials. He is being held on $100,000 bail.

“I’m angry. Obviously a few feet, one way or another, and my wife or I or my kids could be dead right now,” said Vanderwal.

If you need a car accident lawyer call The Accident Attorneys Group at 877-857-7720.

Source: CBS Los Angeles

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Man dies in bed when car plows into home

 Man dies in bed when car plows into home

Source: NBC Los Angeles

A man who was in bed was killed early Sunday when a car crashed into his Orange Country home. The driver of the car was arrested and suspected of driving under the influence.

The driver, Kourosh Keshmiri, 27, of Mission Viejo, was arrested on suspicion of felony DUI and may face additional charges, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

Keshmiri was driving on a suspended license due to an already pending DUI case, authorities said.

The red Cadillac Keshmiri was driving crashed through the front of a house in the 2600 block of Pacato Drive in Mission Viejo.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Family and neighbors identified the man as 60-year-old Ken Jackson. He was described as a motorcycle enthusiast.

The driver and one passenger, who was detained and released, suffered minor injuries, officials said.

The house wad badly damaged. The Cadillac almost went entirely though the front side of the home. A city engineer is needed to determine if the home was safe to live in or not. It could need to be destroyed.

There was another person in the home at the time of the accident, but they were not injured in the incident. The Southern California Gas Company was also called to secure a severed gas line, according to authorities.

This isn’t Keshmiri’s first incident with drunk driving. In August 2010, he was convicted of a misdemeanor DUI. He also has a pending case from June of this year that has led to the suspension of his license.

If you need a car accident lawyer call The Accident Attorneys Group at 877-857-7720.

Source: NBC Los Angeles

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Drunk Driver Not Given Any Legal Breaks

On December 12, 2008, Ashley Schultz drove her 2001 BMW up the off ramp of the I-5 Northbound freeway and collided with an Acura. The crash left her paralyzed, and since then Schultz has been attempting to place blame on someone else.

The accident caused serious bodily injury to Schultz. She broke many bones, including her C4 and C5 vertebrae, and she became a quadriplegic. The other driver was left unharmed for the most part, so she was not faced with criminal charges regarding a third party injury; but she was convicted of drunk driving and fourth degree assault. She was sentenced to two days in jail and one year probation.

After leaving the restaurant, Schultz went to drive home. She turned onto the off ramp at Southwest River Parkway and Harbor Drive and crashed into the Acura immediately. Her blood alcohol content was recorded at .24% on site – three times the legal limit.

Schultz explains that on the evening of her accident, she was having dinner and drinks with work associates. She felt pressured to join in on the drinking and felt that the restaurant over served her and failed to call her taxi. Because of those factors, she has attempted to sue her employer and the restaurant at which she ate the night of her accident for compensation due to her injuries.

Schultz originally filed a lawsuit against her company for denying her worker’s compensation; but the courts ruled in favor of O’Brien Constructors because her injuries did not arise out of her employment. She explains that she was at a work function when she consumed the drinks, but she was really just out with coworkers and the situation was not work-related.

In 2010, she filed a lawsuit against La Costita Mexican Restaurant claiming that it did not act responsibly as it did not stop serving her drinks or call her a cab when it was evident that she had drunk to inebriation. She requested $18.7 million in her claim.

Schultz’s medical bills in 2010 had already totaled to about $900,000, and her future care costs were estimated to be an additional $5 million.

The courts ruled in favor of the restaurant though, and she lost once more. The ruling was partially based on a previous decision made in 2001 where the law then banned customers who voluntarily drink to collect money from restaurants/bars after being injured. Schultz claims that she didn’t voluntarily drink and that her boss was buying her too many drinks, but the court still found her at fault.

She is still seeking money in any way that she can. Though the restaurant is out of the case and she cannot receive worker’s compensation, she is still going after her employers and the coworkers that were with her that night because they supplied the alcohol for her. Schultz expresses how she only went out that night because she did not want to lose her job and felt pressured for them to like her.

It is unknown currently what will happen, but based on her record it is likely that she will not receive the compensation for which she is hoping. It is very rare that a person who was the drunk driver in an accident files lawsuits for damages, so the outcome of this will be interesting. Though everyone, including the restaurant, feels bad for Schultz and her injuries; it cannot be denied that the fault lies with her.

If you or someone you know has been in accident, contact AAG today.

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Anaheim Crash Causes Multiple Injuries

A woman is loaded into an air ambulance that l...

A woman is loaded into an air ambulance that landed on Ski Hill Rd. after a head-on crash near Lifford Rd. on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011. She was flown to Toronto’s Sunnybrook hospital with serious, life-threatening injuries. Another woman was also airlifted to the same hospital with serious injuries. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Early Sunday morning, Anaheim experienced a major collision at Gilbert Street and La Palma Avenue.

The driver, whose identification is currently unknown, had been drinking that evening. The suspect reached the intersection, and instead of stopping at the red light, crashed into two stopped vehicles.

The two vehicles were filled with passengers. It has been reported that eight people were injured in the accident, but their current conditions have not been disclosed.

The driver who caused the accident was arrested on site and faces the charges of a felony DUI.

Paramedics responded quickly and rushed the wounded to the hospital. At this point, there does not appear to be any fatalities.

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal and very dangerous. Sometimes offenders get away with a ticket, and other times their actions cause damage to innocent people. A felony DUI conviction, for what this driver was arrested, can lead to 180 days in jail, a $3,000 fine, a four-year license restriction period and an 18-month alcohol education program. Felony convictions can have serious impacts on one’s future as well, including employment.

If you or something you know has been involved in an accident caused by a drunk driver, contact an injury attorney today to learn more about your rights as the victim.

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Two Killed in Fatal DUI Accident

 

English: A California Highway Patrol unit on t...

Another fatal drunk driving accident has occurred. The laws are very strict regarding driving while intoxicated and rightfully so. Drunk driving can cause fatal casualties, not just for those intoxicated, but also for innocent victims around. In one recent incident, four people were involved in an alcohol-related crash.

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